


All The World's A Dream

by JaceDexter



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Bilbo Dies, Very angst, alternate universe - dream escape, but doesn't really, reality is worse, the adventures weren't real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-25
Updated: 2015-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-25 16:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3817432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaceDexter/pseuds/JaceDexter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo Baggins had had the most wonderful and heartbreaking adventure. He'd made friends, fought in battles, fought a dragon and he'd lost friends too. But above all this was the most heartbreaking truth of them all.</p><p>None of it was real.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All The World's A Dream

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sort of wizard of Oz style story. Kind of. Very angsty. You've been warned.

A tear caught in Bilbo's eye as he wrote the last words down in his journal. It had been many years now that he'd returned from Erebor and many years since the passing of his dear friend. He closed the book and left it for young Frodo to find later when he needed it. 

Bilbo rose from his desk and stretched tall, releasing his stiff old muscles from their awkward positions. Slowly, he padded around his hobbit-hole making his way to his room silently. Frodo was out at the markets for the day thankfully couldn't bare witness to the teary mess his uncle became. Tears streamed endless from his eyes as he laid down upon his bed. 

He recalled the good times and the bad as memories invaded his mind. He knew his time had come as he watched his life flash before his eyes one last time. A calm acceptance washed over him.

He closed his eyes for the last time and smiled. Maybe he'd see his friends again on the other side.

~~~

A grogginess entered the young boy's mind as light filtered through. Everything was blurred out of focus and tinted pink. It took him a considerable amount of time to work out that he was lying flat on his back and his eyes were closed. With great difficulty, the boy forced his eyes open only to meet a bland white ceiling.

With a few attempts he managed to turn his head to the side. The room was blank with minimal furniture. A chest of draws, a few machines which constantly beeped and a chair with a boy about the age twelve sitting in it. The boy had his head in his hands, dark curly hair threaded through his fingers. He wore blue denim jeans, a grey long sleeved shirt and a royal blue vest over the top.

Somewhere deep in his mind, the bed ridden boy recognised the person in the chair. His thoughts were cut short however, when a coughing fit erupted from his chest. The dark haired boy looked up suddenly in shock before quickly grabbing a glass of water and passing it over.

"Bill? Are... Are you actually awake?"

The boy frowned at the name. Something felt wrong with it. It didn't sound like his name.

"Billy? Bilbo?" The dark haired boy waved a hand in front of his face.

"Do... Do you remember me?"

The boy, identifying as Bilbo not Bill or Billy, frowned and shook his head slowly. 

The dark haired boy seemed to panic for a second and pointed to himself, "Theodore."

Bilbo frowned and tilted his head before shaking it again, "Th- Thor. " He erupted in coughs again, and with some difficulty raised his hand with the glass and drank the water provided. 

The boy's face seemed to light up.

"Thorin!" He said gleefully. "Yep. That's me!"

Bilbo frowned at Thorin, confusion sinking in.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Thorin asked.

Bilbo frowned thoughtfully. The last thing he remembered was laying on a bed accepting his death like a respectable hobbit would but that couldn't be right. He looked down towards his feet to confirm that he indeed was human, not hobbit, and a young one at that.

"How old am I?" Bilbo asked.

Thorin looked taken aback at the question, "You are four years old Bilbo."

Bilbo's eyes widened in shock. The last thing he remembered he was over a hundred years old and had lived a long and adventurous life.

"Gandalf?" 

Thorin frowned, "You mean Gary? Is that the last thing you remember?"

He shook his head.

"Mum? Dad?"

Thorin seemed to growl as his face darkened considerably. "In jail thankfully."

Bilbo frowned once more before everything clicked into place.

It had all been a dream! 

Bilbo shook violently as memories flooded back. 

He hadn't mean to drop the toaster. Bilbo had just returned from Thorin's house next door where his cousins Phillip and Cillian had been staying over. Thorin was his only friend and Thorin's dad and mum always loved when Bilbo came over to play, despite the age difference between them.

He'd slipped on his little stool as he made himself breakfast. His father had come in and caught him in the act and had beat him quite badly for it before beating his mother for not teaching him better. When his father had stormed out, his mother had her turn  on him. The last thing he could remember was a sickening crack and the trickle of blood running down his face as the ground came up to meet him like an old friend. He remembered the grubby slimy floor and the invading darkness.

Thorin seemed to know exactly what was going through his mind. "Gary, or Gandalf I suppose, your godfather found you unconscious on the floor of the kitchen. He saved your life and brought you here."

As the rest of Bilbo's memories returned, tears leaked out of his eyes. It had all been a lie! He'd never fought a dragon and escaped from elves! Tears tumbled and raced down his face.

Thorin quickly jumped up and embraced him.

"Don't worry," he began. "There is more in you of good than you know. You have enough courage, Bilbo, to do anything. You'll always have a home with us and with Gandalf and with cousins Fili and Kili too!"

Bilbo smiled wryly into Thorin's vest and sobbed a little harder in acceptance. 


End file.
